Watercolor Kiwi Painting Tutorial

Learn how to paint watercolor Kiwi as part of my summer fruit painting series. Have fun with watercolors as we paint these summery kiwis together. 

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase, I could make a small commission at no charge to you. Please read my Disclaimer and Privacy Policy HERE.


my Watercolor Fruit paintings on my desk overlooking the yard

This super cute kiwi watercolor painting is the last in our summer fruit series! I’ve had so much fun teaching you these fun, simple watercolors. One of the things I love best about painting with watercolor is how quickly and easily I can create a painting I love. This tutorial only took twenty minutes! That’s twenty minutes of time I dedicated to relaxing and creating. I hope this inspires you to take time for yourself to create, too! 

I think kiwis are so interesting and a good reminder not to judge a book by its cover. Who would ever suspect that something muddy brown and furry hides a sweet, bright green fruit inside?!

How to Paint Watercolor Kiwi. 

Watercolor Kiwi Painting on a paper pad

Lightly sketch the outline of your kiwis.

Let’s get started. 

We’re going to start by sketching our kiwis. Sketch lightly, keeping your wrist and your movements loose. 

We’re going to paint a single kiwi slice as well as a half of a kiwi. Start by sketching a circle for the slice and then, a little distance away, more of an oval shape. Start on the lower left side of the oval and sketch an arch. 

Draw a Circle_Watercolor Kiwi Painting Tutorial

I want to remind you that our goal is not perfection. We’re relaxed and having fun creating a sweet, fun summer fruit painting. 

We’re almost finished with sketching. Now go back and lightly draw smaller circles in the center of the kiwi slice and the exposed end of your kiwi half. 

Don’t worry about your pencil lines showing through after you paint. These light sketch lines will probably not be visible when your painting is finished. If they are, use a gummy eraser to easily get rid of them. 

Using a variety of greens to paint the kiwi slice.

Load your paintbrush up with green watercolor paint and paint the “donut” shape of the kiwi slice, leaving that inside circle you sketched unpainted. 

painting the initial wash of green paint in my Watercolor Kiwi Painting Tutorial

Next, pull some yellow into your green to create a lighter shade and paint the middle of the kiwi slice with that lighter shade. 

Dark green paint around the edges_Watercolor Kiwi Painting Tutorial
Adding more green paint in a second wash of paint

Using the wet on wet technique (I go into this in detail in this blog post), add some touches of darker green and yellow. 

Now, with a thin brush, use a slightly darker shade of green to draw lines leading out from the center of the fruit. 

painting green lines in the kiwi flesh

Achieving a mottled effect on the kiwi skin. 

Bring some red into your brown and then use a liner brush to paint a thin line around the edge of the kiwi slice. 

Painting the grown line around the parameter of the kiwi slice_Watercolor Kiwi Painting Tutorial

For the skin of the kiwi half, start with a light wash of brown. Then take your brush and go right along the edges, letting your brush strokes mimic the “fur” on the skin of a kiwi. 

furry brown skinned kiwi painting

Come back with a darker brown and use the wet on wet technique to blend a variety of shades of brown, creating a mottled effect. 

It’s so fun to watch the colors change as they dry! 

Adding details to the kiwi. 

Using black paint and your thinnest brush, come in and paint seeds on the kiwi slice. You could also use a Posca Paint Pen for this, but I like the effect of keeping it all watercolor. 

Adding the seeds to the Watercolor Kiwi Painting

I created a softer effect on the kiwi half by using some brown paint for its seeds. 

For finishing touches, come back with a thin brush and dark green paint around the edges of the slices. 

After your paint dries completely, you can come back and add some fun scribble lines with a paint pen. 

Christie holding her Watercolor Kiwi Painting

I hope you love your summer kiwi painting! This one was a lot of fun! 

This was the last painting in our summer fruits series. Up next – fall florals! 

Watch the full watercolor kiwi tutorial. 

Make some time to relax and have fun with watercolors. This is a quick, simple painting that I know you’re going to enjoy. Share what you learned on The Social Easel Facebook Page!

Stay creative and happy painting!

If you would like to be notified before I go Live on Facebook with a fun art tutorial, text “Hey Friend” to 417-217-7044.

Watercolor painted kiwis on a white paper
Watercolor Kiwi on white desk with paints overlooking the outdoors

More from my Summer Fruit Painting Series:

  1. How to Paint a Watermelon Slice
  2. Fun And Funky Watercolor Pineapple Painting Tutorial
  3. Watercolor Oranges Painting Tutorial

Some of my favorite supplies used for this watercolor kiwi painting tutorial: